Under the vast blue sky, where fluffy white clouds drifted like cotton candy, a lively place known as the Skylands existed. On this day, a young girl named Captain Lily stood on her porch, gazing up with hopeful eyes.
“I wish I could sail up there in a skyship!” she sighed, her heart filled with dreams of adventure. At that moment, her windows rattled, and her friend Tom rushed over.
“Did you feel that wind? I heard Miss Melody saying that the fairies are going to let a skyship sail today!” Tom exclaimed.
With a sparkle in her eyes, Lily begged, “Oh, please let me come too, Tom!”
“I was just coming to ask you!” he said excitedly.
Wasting no time, they rushed to the big elm tree, where their friends Ella and Bob stood waiting.
“Are you ready to sail the sky?” Lily beamed.
“Quite,” said Bob, lifting up the magic trumpet. Echoing through the air, it sent music twirling here and there. As a result, a skyship floated down from the heavens.
“Where shall I steer her, Captain?” asked Tom.
“Through that cloud,” Lily pointed excitedly.
With a nod from Tom, the skyship moved forward. Covered by the cloud, the children whispered, “We have crossed the line; we are really in the sky!”
“Must we work?” Ella asked.
“Oh, yes! Everyone must take a turn,” was Lily’s answer. So, happily sailing, they took turns sailing or seeing celestial sights. Exploring to the east of the great shining sun while little angels sang:
“When skyships are sailing, then singing,
You may know that the fairies are bending
Low down from the sky to listen to you singing.
So live at peace, be kind, and always do right;
And you too may sail in the skyship someday,
With a little help from angels, and singing at night.”
By and by they had passed so far that near them the sun was setting. The sky grew shabby, as Ella remarked, and felt rough, as Bob said. So, when each had taken a long look, Lily ordered:
“Tom, go down.”
But no one knew what to do, or could find the trumpet.
“One of the children must be lost!” said Bob, amazed, as evening came.
“In the dusk, we must drift on,” commanded Lily, though afraid, it was so dim.
Soon a foreign skyship whizzed past fast, carrying a tiny hostess worried about losing the way.
“To the Hills of Home, quick!” shouted a child voice, but they did not know the way.
Very slowly and timidly their ship flew on, getting lower all the time, and wavering from side to side. At every chance Bob stood up looking ahead, but no brother boat had soon to come.
Ella sadly begged to coat herself ready to get down herself.
“I wish we could find anything to fasten to,” she sobbed.
But no one wanted to do it.
One little foot in a long shoe had got both feet as smooth as a goose.
“If it had been the right kind she would never have wanted to get down,” said the sole.
“Never mind,” was Ella’s cheerful word.
But just at that moment, with one last foray, the ship dropped down. They were all in the middle of some trees—here in the forest they were.
“Our lives hang on getting out of this,” exclaimed Lily. And, sure enough, though they kept trying to turn the ship about, pl-esth-plaph!” it broke off right and left.
“I’m so sorry to set you on good night, children,” Mrs. Whip-poor-will cried.
“You picked out just the roof for us not to tumble on,” said Lily.
“A roof—the top of a house, if you please,” replied the bird.
“I’m so glad nobody saw us,” said Tom.
“I wonder why they are so silent,” mused Bob.
“There must be some good reason,” suggested Ella, looking to see.
“I know how it is! The house is made of bricks,” said Lily. “Brick makes people dumb, you see.”
“Anyhow, it is brick, and snug enough for coons, lilies, and crows, I should think,” said the bird, with a little cough.
Then all five off each other turned to go to sleep.